Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has been roped in by new Tasmanian franchise Hobart Hurricanes for the Twenty20 Big Bash League.

The 36-year-old Tasmanian who rarely gets to play for his state due to international commitments expressed his delight at representing the Hurricanes in the T20 competition.

"There has been a lot of talk and discussion between all of the boys over the last few weeks about who has signed where and I'm really excited about the prospect of playing with some great players in the Hurricanes colours," Ponting said.

"It's always nice to represent your home state when you can and this is a great opportunity to play some exciting cricket in front of the passionate Hobart fans," Ponting said.